Apparatus for perforating sheet metal.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. EDISON, OF LLEWELLYN PARK, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR PERFORATING SHEET METAL.

Original application iiled July .(43, 1904, Serial No. 217,881. Dividedand this application iiled March To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. EDISON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Llewellyn Park, Orange, Essex county, New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forPerforating Sheet Metal, of which the following is a description.

This application is a division of an application iiled July 23, 1904,Serial No. 217,881.

For the mechanical make-up of my improved iron-nickel battery I employ alarge number of small pockets of nickel-plated sheet metal, in which theactive materials are held under pressure. Heretofore sheet metal hasbeen rst perforated by means of dies, after which it is nickel-platedand finally cut into blanks which are bent into the proper shape to formthe pocket-sections. Two of these sections for each pocket are thennested together, with the active material between them, and subjected tovery great pressure, by which the active material will be compressedinto a small coherent briquet, with which the elastic walls of thepocket are alwaysin contact. In forming the perforations in the sheetmetal a bur is struck up around each perforation, since the metal ismerely. displaced without being removed as when a punch is used. I findthat lafter the pockets are assembled the great pressure to which theyare subjected tends to return the burs thus formed to their originalposition, thereby closing the perforations more orless and interferingwith the effective circulation of the electrolyte.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus by meansof which perforations of the character described may be first formed,but which by means of a second operation will cause the burs to be moreor less upset, whereby the objection noted will be overcome.

In order that the invention may be better understood, attention isdirected to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of thisspecification, and in which I illustrate a diagrammatic view of asuitable apparatus for carrying the invention into effect, theperforating and upsetting rolls and strip of sheet metal being shown insection and the projections and depressions of the said rolls beinggreatly magnified.

In the drawing, l and 2 represent the perforating-dies, the former beingprovided on its periphery with the projections 3, properly arranged andof the correct size to perforate Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1905.

2051905 Serial No. 251.002.

the metal properly, and the latter being provided with correspondingnotches or grooves 4 for accommodating the displaced metal.

5 represents the long sheetmetal strip, which after being perforated isnickel-plated and cut into blanks of the desired size. It will beobserved that after the metal strip has passed the perforating-dies land 2 it will be provided with burs 6, which are inclined more or lessover the openings, so that any pressure applied to the strip will tendto return them toward their original position to thereby close theopenings more or less with the objection noted. To overcome this, I makeuse of a pair of upsetting-dies 7 and 8, corresponding substantiallywith the dies 1 and 2, except that the upsetting-dies are oppositelyarranged, so that the projections 9 of the die 7 will enter between theburs 6 of each opening and exert a pressure thereon by which the burswill be upset, as shown, and brought at least to a perpendicularposition. It will be evident that byv subjecting the sheet metal to thistreatment there will be no tendency whatever of the openings to beclosed when pressure is exerted thereon. Preferably the upsetting-die 7is made adjustable toward and away from the coperating female member 8in order that the extent to which the upsetting operation may be carriedcan be regulated; but in practice it is not desirable to bend the bursto any great extent beyond the perpendicular position shown, as thatmight tend to tear the metal around the perforations, and thus enlargethe openings. The adj ustability of the die 7 may be effected byconnecting its bearings with adjusting-screws 10, as shown.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of twosets of rolls and means for passing a strip of metal continuouslytherebetween, the rolls of one set being provided with coperatingprojections and depressions, whereby perforations which are surroundedby burs are formed, and the rolls of the other set being provided withcooperating projections and depressions which are reversed with respectto the strip, whereby the metal surrounding the perforations is eyeletedor upset, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combinations of twosets of dies IOO and means for passing a strip of metal continuouslytherebetween, the dies of one set being provided with coperatingprojections u`dies of the other set being provided with cooperatingprojections and depressions, which are reversed with respect to thestrip, whereby the metal surrounding the 'perforations is eyeleted orupset, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of twosets of rolls, means for passing a strip of metal continuouslytherebetween, the rolls of one set being provided with coperatingprojections and depressions, whereby perforations which are surroundedby burs are formed, and the other set comprising a roll which isprovided with projections which correspond tothe projections of theperforating-roll, but which are reversed with respect tothe strip,whereby the metal surrounding the perforations is eyeleted or upset,substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of twosets of dies, means for passing a strip of metalcontinuouslytherebetween, the dies of one set being provided withcoperating projections and depressions, whereby perforations which aresurrounded by burs are formed, and the other set comprising a die whichis provided with projections, which correspond to the projections of theperforating-die, but which are reversed with respect to the strip,whereby the metal surrounding the perforations is eyeleted or upset,substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed 'this 17th day of March, 1905.

' THOS. A. EDISON.

Witnesses:

FRANK L. DYER, ANNA R. KLEHM.

